Four times Emily held a child in front of Morgan
by Dri-09
Summary: Emily, Morgan and babies through the years. Future E/R; M/R
1. Chapter 1

Title: Four times Emily held a child in front of Morgan – and one time she didn't

Author: Dri

Ratings: PG

Characters/Pairings: Emily/Morgan friendship; Morgan/Reid; Rossi/Prentiss

Spoilers: Through the series; future fic

Summary: Emily, Morgan and babies through the years.

Author's notes: There would be no fic at all without the help of my betas, Ana and Kelly, who endured my changing of sentences and whole paragraphs without giving up on me. Girls, thanks for the patience, and for guiding me through this. You guys rock! Also, thanks Moon ( such a dear! ) for the last minute Italian translation.

Any remaining mistakes are mine because these ladies are awesome!

Feedback: Reviews will be cherished!

Disclaimer: They belong to CBS, and I'm not making any money with this fic.

****

The First Time

Emily had still been on probation at the BAU the first time she and Derek had joined forces to comfort a child.

The shooting happened because the stepfather the BAU had been after, a murderer on the run, wouldn't drop the gun pointed at the junkie mother, whose motherly instinct had finally kicked in, stoned state and all, and she had tried to protect her child. The mother took the bullet, but stepfather didn't take the child.

Emily tightened her arms around the baby girl, pressing the child's head to her shoulder, upper body slightly swaying back and forth in hopes of soothing the whimpering child. Emily focused on the faint wisps of breath ghosting her neck to ignore the pattern of blue and red lights twirling through the broken glass of the mirror in front of her.

The room was in shambles, the air stale and stinking of urine and other elements that had no place around a newborn; things like death and blood and a motherless upbringing. Versed in the later, Emily covered the little girl's ears, a futile attempt of keeping away the sirens and the sounds of violence from where they were never meant to be.

Soles crunching broken glass made Emily look up to the broken mirror. Agent Morgan was coming into the room, earpiece and Kevlar vest on, gun drawn even if danger was no longer imminent: he had made sure of that, shooting the stepfather dead, putting an end to the family that should have never been.

Agent Morgan offered Emily a brief nod before holstering his gun and approaching the sorry excuse for an armchair Emily and the baby were sharing.

"How is she?"

Filthy, underweight, traumatized.

"In desperate need of a change."

More than a diaper and Emily's protection could provide. They should have been able to have done more. The baby, any baby, was worthy of more.

Lips stretched into a wan and understanding smile, Agent Morgan squatted down in front of Emily, large fingers charting the wisps of hair covering the child's forehead. "Perhaps that's what this ordeal was supposed to bring."

"What do you mean?"

Agent Morgan looked around, as if presenting evidence A, B and C in the stained walls, leaking ceiling and broken furniture of the unkempt house. Finally he landed open eyes and the certainty that everything would be okay directly at Emily. "Some change."

"But that's just the beginning, isn't it?" Emily whispered at the now sleeping child. Even in sleep the bony and dirty little fingers didn't let go of Emily's blue issued FBI jacket. "Child Service, a warden of the state, foster parents. No child should go through this."

The stepfather was a murderer on the run, but he had wanted his daughter the same time the mother decided her child was too precious to live in constant danger with the stepfather.

In the end both parents had done their best to shield their child. It was more than Emily ever had while growing up.

"And maybe through all this they will find her some loving family, a real home," Agent Morgan said.

His serenity startled Emily. She was getting used to him, to everyone on the team. Impressive was the word she had used to tag and compartmentalize Agent Morgan. He was an impressive man. Once in action, everything about him – his height, his attitude, his dedication – was tangible proof that he was the man who would acknowledge no peril if there was a job to be done or someone to be protected. Without the danger lurking around, the fierceness would still be there, only more tamed and coated with a different kind of caring, of compassion.

Emily smiled down at the sleeping baby, allowing Agent Morgan to believe for the both of them and for the child.

Three successive knocks on wood made Emily look up to the mirror to find Agent Reid awkwardly staring back at them from the doorway.

"Child Service is here," he said sounding more like he was offering an apology than following protocol to inform them Baby Girl was one step from facing the rest of her life.

"Thanks, kid," Agent Morgan said, standing up. "Could you flag them here?" Agent Reid quickly nodded in knowledge and left, without a doubt to do what he was asked.

"I'll tell them to bring some diapers," Agent Morgan said, fingers squeezing her shoulder before he left. Emily wasn't in need of the support, but she appreciated the gesture.

This child was going to have the second chance Emily never got to have, the chance she herself once was obliged to deny.

But this baby could take comfort in the almost forgotten lullaby Emily had longed to have her own mother humming when Emily was a child.

Sing Emily did, thumbing smooth cheeks stained with dried tears. She was not the child's mother, but she would have to do. Until Child Service got into the room, she would have to do.

Continue in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer and all that jazz in Part 1

**********

Four times Emily hold a child in front of Morgan

The Second Time

The second time Emily and Derek comforted a child, well, the child wasn't necessarily in need of comfort. Emily and Derek just happened to be there.

Emily and little Henry were sitting in the patio, enjoying the warm sun and the quietness outside, away from the voices and laughter coming from the christening party inside JJ and Will's house. Emily rasp-berried the baby's face and he gurgled in delight, getting fistfuls of Emily's hair and trying to chew on it.

Little Henry was six months old, weighing what seemed to be a ton and with the behavior of an angel. Something JJ rushed to deny; yes her baby boy had his moments. The sparkle in her eyes and pride in her voice told Emily a different story, though.

The few times Emily had accepted the invitation for a visit, little Henry had behaved to perfection, fussing very little and only crying to announce he was hungry or needed changing.

That morning at the church, Henry had proved his mother right by constantly reaching for the candle Reid was holding by his head, or babbling in Garcia's arms right along with the priest during his christening, going for the droplets of water the priest was pouring over his head.

Emily had loved every single moment of it.

And those baby smiles.

Little Henry also had this bright toothless smile that was a gift reserved only for JJ and JJ alone. Will had reason to feel a little put out, even if he were a good sport about it. He was the father, after all.

Emily was the one who had no business being jealous. However, she just couldn't help it. She wished for nothing JJ had. Her friend deserved to be happy and well loved like only mothers could be.

And JJ was a mother. Emily wasn't.

Emily just wished someday she would be the one in the receiving end of toothless smiles and unconditional love. She vowed she would never let this little proofs of love go wasted, like her mother had. Those were feelings Emily was starting to understand. Something she wasn't so sure her mother ever had.

"Hey, little man. There you are."

Morgan was carrying a bottle and wearing the smile that rivaled the sunlight and that in the beginning had caused Emily's stomach to flip.

Crouching in front of Emily's chair, Morgan shook the bottle in front of the baby, who reached out with chubby hands to get it. Morgan laughed and let Henry get his finger instead.

"Can you keep your eyes away from this beautiful lady for a few minutes? Your mama wants you to have this bottle," Morgan said, fingering the baby's round nose. Henry squealed.

"Shut up, Morgan." Emily said, blushing even if she knew Morgan meant no harm with the compliment. She had come to accept the flirting as part of Morgan's good nature. "He's too little to be exposed to your pick up lines."

Morgan laughed and handed her the bottle. "Wouldn't have worked anyway. You're too smart to fall for lame pick up lines."

"Yeah, and maybe that's why I'm single and just about ready to become a spinster."

The hint of frustration lacing what was meant to be a joke surprised Emily and made Morgan's smile falter a bit.

"Easy, Prentiss. I'm about ready to become a spinster myself." Emily snorted at the joke. "It's true. Just ask my mamma."

"Does she know about those many bed notches out there with your name on them?"

Morgan had a beautiful belly laugh, contagious. Soon Emily was joining him, and for some time along with Henry's suckling and cooing, it was the sound backing their light banter.

"You know, we're too young and too pretty to be turning ourselves into spinsters," Morgan said, grinning.

"Perhaps we should find ourselves backups," she said good-naturally. "You know, just in case."

"Yeah, just in case," Morgan replied with a playful smile as little Henry played with his finger. "A back up plan sounds nice. Not that we will ever need a backup," he rushed to add.

Emily laughed. "Never! We're too good looking for that."

Morgan laughed too, and that's how Reid, hands tucked in his pockets and lips stretched in a thin line found them a few minutes later.

"JJ is calling everybody to eat cake."

"Thanks, pretty boy. We'll be right back in," Morgan said, smiling at their friend.

There were traces of curiosity in Reid's semblance, his eyes flipping from Morgan to Emily, brain without a doubt working a mile a minute. After a few seconds too long, he tucked his hair behind his ear, favored them with an awkward smile, and went back to the house.

Baby Henry and Morgan were having a thumb match and having the time of their lives.

Emily grinned.

*****

Continue in the third time


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer and all that jazz in Part 1

*****

The Third Time

As fate would have it, Henry had been there to keep them company during their third time. Sitting in his mother's lap and dressed in blue and smiles, Henry had been more interested in drooling over the bright paper wrapping his presents than in all the adults and kids around cooing him to open them.

The concept of family was kind of a novelty to Emily, but she had managed not to be so surprised to learn the team - herself included – had been invited by JJ and Will to join their immediate family to share chocolate cake and finger food in celebration of Henry's first birthday.

The party was winding down when Emily and Garcia took the baby upstairs for a fresh diaper. They chatted away until Kevin called his girlfriend back downstairs so they could say their goodbyes and leave. Emily should have done the same. It was getting late, and Dave probably wanted to leave. Since they had carpooled, she really should look for him.

Instead Emily found herself with Henry in the nursery, the baby in her lap in the rocking chair, pointing out the pictures on the wall and kissing the fingers sprawled on her cheek. All Emily had wanted was a quiet moment. Instead she found herself almost regretting her past decisions. Having Henry in her arms, beautiful and happy and alive, made her dare herself to dream. She didn't do the 'what if' game well. She had her two feet planted on the ground and a good head full of compartmentalized moments on her shoulders. She had schooled herself this way. She could keep going for a little longer.

Still, having Henry's fine blond hair tucked under her chin and a little thumb between the round rosy lips made it so hard.

A shadow fell over them, and Emily looked up at the entryway. Morgan was standing there, watching over them with a smile.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Morgan approached them slowly, the rug on the floor muffling his steps. He reached over and ruffled the baby's hair. Henry blinked sleepy eyes at him and stretched his arms to get the bottle Morgan was holding before him.

"Hungry, kid?" Morgan asked, smiling at the baby.

"I guess he's about ready to sleep," Emily said, getting ready to leave the room and the memories that didn't exist. "Perhaps I should hand him back to JJ."

Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder. "She sent me here to give you this. I guess she agrees the little one's had enough excitement for the day."

Emily sat back, accepting the bottle Morgan was handing her.

"You've been here for some time."

"Dreaming, thinking," Emily replied, resuming the rocking motion and fighting back a rueful smile as Henry suckled on the bottle.

"This could be dangerous," Morgan said, squatting in front of her, a hand on her knee. "You looked distant, far from here. Everything okay?"

Six months ago, when Emily, Morgan and Henry had shared a moment like this one, life had been good. Reid hadn't had another close call, almost driving Morgan to insanity. They hadn't almost lost Hotch. Emily and Morgan had been younger and prettier. Her biological clock had been quieter.

"How come we managed to get invited to a kid's birthday party when five of us have no kids at all?"

Morgan looked as if he didn't know whether to take her question seriously or not. In fact, Emily wasn't so sure of what she had asked, or vented, whatever.

"Did you see how big that cake was?" In her silence, Morgan must have noticed she was serious. He tried again. "I like to believe JJ sees us as family. We watch each other's back, Prentiss. Most of our time is spent together."

"I know," Emily said, frustrated because Morgan wouldn't understand.

"So what's troubling you, Emily?"

Deep inside Emily resented Morgan and this need he had of being there for all of them, his adopted family in this home away from home. For a second Emily hated him for making her feel compelled to talk and tell him everything, to acknowledge the hand on her knee for what it really was.

_Talk to me. I'm begging you here to let me in, to let me help._

Damn that man!

"I'm afraid Henry and Jack will be the only children we'll have in this little family."

"You mean you don't believe any of us will ever get around to having a family of our own?"

Embarrassed Emily nodded and let herself feed Henry. That much she could do.

"Prentiss, I know sometimes the job gets in the way and all, but…"

"Sometimes?" Emily snorted, jostling Henry who let out a little whimper in protest. She took a deep breath and started again, ignoring Morgan's visible concern with her reaction. "No. I mean, seriously, Morgan. For Christ sake, take a good look at us. Dave has been married three times and Hotch never gets to see his own son. You never get to date the same woman more than twice, and Reid never dates at all. Garcia and JJ aside, I don't see any of us driving a minivan to any football game or school recital."

Feeling a little drained, she lowered her eyes back to Henry. He was so beautiful, his reality such a blessing not only to JJ, but to all of them. Emily wanted that, a general someday kind of thing. Only the new concepts of someday, future and family Emily was starting to believe in didn't mash with the ones she had grown up with. Emily wished she could blame the job and the crazy people out there who didn't give her time to take a break and live, but hell if she could lie to herself, if only for a little bit.

Reality was sweet Henry, who grounded her with his warmth and eyes so sleepy, trusting Emily to watch over his dreams. And then there was Morgan and his hand on her knee, so clearly listening to her as friend and ignoring all the signs she must have shown for the last few minutes or so.

"What about you, Emily?"

This was the one question Emily should have dreaded from the beginning of their conversation. Yet it was with relief that she pondered the words. And as she answered him it felt like another penny had been dropped in payment for her penitence and that, given time, would lead to the absolution she was so in need of giving herself.

"I could very well have been a grandmother by now."

There was confusion, then clarity, and finally acceptance in the small gesture of Morgan squeezing the knee under his hand. She smiled in gratitude.

"Anyone else knows?"

"Dave."

In silence they waited for Henry to finish his bottle.

"I saw my dad die," Morgan said. "I want to have kids, try to be half the man my dad was, you know."

"I want to be the mother mine never was."

"Too bad we never got around that back up plan, huh?"

The intensity in Morgan's eyes was so unsettling it kept her from smiling at what she had supposed had been meant to be a joke.

She followed the movement of his hand as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She saw him move his body up for balance and to have his eyes almost in the same level as hers.

"Perhaps it's not too late," Morgan said softly.

Her world had been reduced to the baby dozing in her lap and this beautiful man's eyes locked with hers, his finger tracing her cheekbone, soft breath soothing the burning of its aftermath, his lips getting closer to hers.

_Please, Morgan; don't do this. _

"Emily…"

His whisper and the moment were broken by the unexpected sound of glass crashing. Startled, Emily and Morgan turned their attention to the door.

There was so much angst setting Reid's lips in a straight line, so much despair pouring from his eyes, it was impossible for Emily not to understand why Reid seemed to be so out of breath, immersed in the misery she and Morgan had inadvertently created and that Emily had no business naming.

And it wasn't directed at her.

"Reid?"

But Morgan hadn't understood.

Reid blinked his eyes once, twice, until Emily lost count because once again Reid had knocked her off balance. She and Morgan had just about destroyed any dreams Reid might have had for a future he had mostly certainly wanted to share with Morgan.

And before Emily could warn Morgan, tell him about all those times he probably shouldn't have stood so close to Reid, the times he should have avoided all those one armed hugs and invitations for after work drinks or dinner, sometimes with the whole team, more often than not just the two of them, Morgan had already bolted to the door. Before she could assure Reid that she wasn't Morgan's happy ending, and that nothing would ever happen between them, let alone the family they someday wanted to have, only not together, Reid was already silently begging the man supporting him to deny what he had almost witnessed.

"Reid, what's it? Talk to me, kid," Morgan pleaded, tilting Reid's quivering chin to better look at his face. "You okay?"

But Reid had turned his eyes back on Emily, killing her a little every time his lips moved without forming any word. It was aphasia all over again; this one with hers and Morgan's name all over it.

"Reid?"

"I… JJ…"Reid shook his head and looked down at the mess made of broken glass and something red on the floor. The quivering intensified, but he somehow found the strength to start again. "There is jelly… Strawberry… JJ made it for me. You ate mine… in the hospital. I thought… I had hoped this time you…" His chest heaved, next breath caught somewhere between a blink of eye and another. "I waited too long," Reid finally mourned in a whisper.

Morgan had grown more and more perplexed with every bit of broken confession Reid poured out to him, to the point of him slowly freeing Reid from the one arm Morgan had used to comfort Reid until what he was listening had probably become too much. Morgan had really had no clue.

Reid stepped away from Morgan as if he had been slapped by Morgan's reaction, as if Morgan's new lack of contact, Morgan's new lack of proximity hurt too much. By God Emily knew how much this being too close-to-be-touched, too far-to-be-loved hurt.

"God, I'm so stupid," Reid said, offering Emily and Morgan the shadow of a pathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, Reid." Emily wished life had taught her how to deliver the truth as a way of comfort, not as a simple matter of facts, but it hadn't. All she could offer Reid was the truth for what it was and hope he believed her. "You didn't interrupt anything. We were just talking. Nothing hap…" But Reid was already shaking his head.

"Don't. Please, don't," Reid cut her off using the same softness they had heard in his apology. "I'll… I'll ask Rossi to drive me home."

"No! Reid, don't be ridiculous. You came with me; you're coming back with me." By the time Morgan desperately stepped up to take charge, Reid had been a flash of beige and gray rushing down the stairs. "Come on, Reid! Reid! Come back here! We gotta talk, man! Reid!"

Only a door closing downstairs and rushed voices answered them.

Morgan sagged against the doorframe. Emily only realized she had stood up with Henry asleep against her shoulder when she touched Morgan on the face.

"God, what have I done? I didn't know. I swear to God I had no idea."

"Morgan…"

"How can he dump this one on me and just leave? Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Morgan, you have to calm down."

"Calm down? How can I calm down when he's out there hurting because I was too blind to see that he was… Not gonna happen." Morgan was almost shouting. Henry was stirring with little whimpers and Emily patted his back to quiet him down.

"Morgan, Emily, what happened?" JJ rushing down the corridor with Dave close on her heels saved Morgan from being slapped back into his senses. "Why is Reid so upset? I think he was crying."

"God, Reid." Morgan closed his eyes. JJ's little statement defused the ticking bomb Morgan had become. "He's gone?"

"He's outside. Aaron's taking him home," Dave answered, his eyes on Emily. "What happened here?"

"I have to talk to him. I…" Morgan patted his pockets until he found his car keys. Then he looked down and saw the jelly on the floor. The pain in his eyes matched Reid's. "JJ, I need a mop."

JJ and Dave exchanged a knowing look. Emily raised her eyes to heaven. "Men," she muttered to herself. Damage control was definitely in her hands. Typical male or not, there was just so much stupidity Emily could take.

"No," Emily said, handing Henry to his mother. "You go after him, Derek. Make sure he's alright."

"But how can I fix this?" Emily had never seen Morgan so lost.

JJ looked from Morgan to Emily then to Dave, who just shrugged and started picking up the pieces of broken glass.

"I'll take Henry downstairs to say goodnight," JJ announced. Never mind Henry was back to sleep. "You guys gonna be alright?"

"Of course," Dave replied. "It's just a little mess. Nothing we can't handle."

As JJ left, Emily touched Morgan's face, smoothed the drawn lines in his forehead, and smiled goodbye to something that could have been beautiful, but, given the circumstances, utterly wrong.

"Make him believe he has nothing to worry about."

Morgan looked confused, embarrassed and still totally at a loss. "I'm not so sure of what I'm supposed to tell him, Emily."

Emily shoved Morgan out the door. "Go after him. No matter what you say, be gentle with him. You and I both know he's worth it." Morgan hesitated. "What are you waiting for? Go," she shoved him again. "And call me later to tell me how it went."

Morgan took one, then two steps backwards until he was running down the stairs.

When Emily approached Dave to help with the cleaning up, she favored him with perhaps the first real smile she had managed to form since her chaotic little meeting with Morgan had started.

Dave shook his head.

"Anything you would like to share, Emily?"

Considering Morgan's lack of repulsion to Reid's confession, Emily was positive Morgan wasn't going to need a back up plan anymore. He most certainly would need a surrogate instead.

"But of course, Dave. Only I won't." She spooned a large portionof jelly and held it out for Dave. "I could do with some buzz, though. You're paying."

****

Continue in the fourth time


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer and all that jazz in Part 1

*****

The Fourth Time

The fourth time happened about twenty months later, at Emily and Dave's and lasted less than five minutes because little Giovanni had just been fed and Emily had to settle him for the night.

Emily and Dave had a nice routine around the house: she didn't mess with his kitchen, he didn't mess with her office; she did the laundry, he collected the dry cleaning; they shopped and did the cleaning together. And by the end of the day, be it in bed, in the shower, or any other place inside (or not) the house that could give them enough leverage, Emily did her best to show Dave how precious he was to her. Dave loved the attention and didn't mind paying it back in kind.

Now they were adjusting their routine around the baby, and there were already moments shared by this little family of hers that Emily would not forget for as long as she lived.

"_Fra' Martino campanaro  
dormi tu, dormi tu?"_

Giggio scrunched his little face and started whimpering, and Emily rushed to kiss his little fingers. "Ti manca il tuo papà, che ti canta la ninna nanna, piccolo mio? Papa is busy with the nice people downstairs. Won't mamma singing do for tonight, huh? " she cooed with the kind of love that grew anew every time she talked to, looked at or just thought about her son. Her smile broadened when the little hands stopped fussing and Giggio finally slept. "See? Mamma is not so bad."

"You should have tried rap, or hip hop. Would have saved you time," came a voice from the doorway.

Emily looked up and motioned Morgan inside the nursery. For a heartbeat he hesitated, but then he walked inside with soft steps.

"Uncle Morgan will teach you everything about the good stuff, kid: Tupac, Notorious. Bone Thugs… Fifty Cents," Morgan teased, winking at her.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Hey, I'm the kid's named guardian. I should have some say in his musical education."

"You can teach him anything you like about self-defense. Let his other guardian be in charge of his musical upbringing."

"Reid likes classical," Morgan replied affronted. The mere mention of his partner's name, however, added a new sparkle to his eyes.

"You try teaching this kid rap and his papa is going to kill you. And I'll help Dave get rid of the body."

Morgan laughed softly. "You're too much of a good girl to do that."

Something inside of Emily gentled. Morgan must have sensed it because he looked at her with a different kind of intensity, full of understanding.

"I would at least consider it, Morgan." She laughed feeling silly and embarrassed, but oh-so-happy. "Jesus, I don't think there's a thing in the world I wouldn't do for my boys."

Morgan fingered a lock of dark hair in the baby's head. "I know the feeling. Scaring, huh?"

"Yes," Emily simply agreed. Reid was a lucky man.

There had been a Morgan/Reid for almost as long as there had been a Rossi/Prentiss. The road her friends had to go through to be together had been bumpier, though.

As weird as it still was to see Morgan being in a committed relationship with anyone, let alone with another man, and Reid being in a relationship at all, neither ever wavered once the awkwardness of it all was gone and they realized what they had was worth fighting for.

And there had been challenges: Morgan's issues, Reid's insecurities, and to top all that the kind of job they had. Owning up to their homosexual relationship amidst law enforcement had almost caused Morgan to get transferred to another state and Reid to quit and go with him. At that time, Hotch's and Dave's influence as well as their teammates' professionalism and support had been the glue that had held the team together.

And in the end, to have Morgan and Reid so comfortably sitting close to each other, holding hands and sharing hugs at Garcia and Kevin's wedding two months ago had been worth the entire headache they had faced in the beginning. Emily was sure the kiss she had witnessed at the reception, when Morgan and Reid thought nobody was looking, was what had set her off into early labor.

"You and Rossi did well choosing JJ and Hotch to be the kid's godparents."

"You and Reid were the right choices to be his guardians, too," Emily said, brought back to the moment. "And I know Garcia will find her own way to be special to him." Emily smiled. "In fact, Garcia will be a handful once baby Bruno makes his appearance into this world."

Morgan scrunched his nose, but the smile was still there. "I can't believe that Kevin boy touched my girl. If he hadn't made an honest woman out of her…"

"I've always thought Garcia was the deviant one in this story," Emily corrected him, good-humored. "Speaking of which, when are you going to make an honest man out of Reid?"

Morgan's smile faded a little. "I asked him to move in. He hasn't answered yet."

Morgan enveloped the hand she had reached out to him with both of his, her engagement ring digging in his palm. "Have no fear, Derek; he'll say yes." Morgan nodded, squeezed her hand one last time and let go.

There was hushed conversation coming from down the corridor, and Emily looked up to see the small committee headed by JJ and a reluctant Will followed by Dave and Reid coming to the nursery.

"We came up to say goodnight; we have to go and relieve the sitter," JJ whispered from the doorway. Will's hand on her shoulders was certainly the only thing keeping her from coming into the room. Dave stepped around the couple and waved his hand, inviting everybody inside.

"Where are Hotch and Jordan?" Emily asked Dave.

"They already left." Dave perched himself on the arm of the chair Emily and their baby were sharing. "You were supposed to just check if Emily had the bambino settled for the night, Derek," he scolded Morgan smiling playfully.

"Emily and I were making arrangements for the kid's first lesson in rap, man."

Emily moved sideways and very carefully handed Dave their son. "Over my dead body," Dave replied, his eyes now on the sleeping baby in his arms.

"That can be arranged. I'll even help him get rid of your body," Reid said, wrapping long, bony arms around Morgan's broad chest. Since the announcement of her pregnancy those hugs had gone from a claim of ownership to a natural display of affection, which pleased Emily immensely; Reid's wariness towards her was finally gone.

Morgan shared a secret smile with Emily before turning his head to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek. "Thanks, babe."

JJ, who by now had pulled Will closer to the group, was looking at Giggio with a restrained longing all too familiar to Emily. "Do you remember when Henry was this small?" JJ asked Will, resting her head on his shoulder. Will hugged her around the waist and kissed her hair as JJ covered the hand he had placed on her belly with hers.

It saddened Emily to see Morgan with his arms covering Reid's, and Reid with his chin resting on Morgan's shoulder, sharing the same longing with a lot less hope.

****

To be concluded in the next part.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer and all that jazz in Part 1.

And a special thanks to Ana. Thanks for the hand holding, dear. I hope to one day be able to pay you back in kind.

*****

The One Time She Didn't

The fifth time it happened, the roles had been reversed: it was Emily who had waddled into the room when Morgan was feeding and having a one sided silly conversation with baby Laticia, who in turn was happily answering her daddy with a babble of her own. Morgan and Reid had signed the final papers for the adoption earlier that week, which made the hard earned smile Morgan was wearing totally justified.

So for posterity sake, Emily took a picture of the moment and didn't apologize. Instead she snapped another shot when Morgan shook his head and Laticia blinked her big caramel eyes and waved her hands to the lens.

"Should you be climbing up stairs in your condition? I don't want Rossi blaming Reid and me again if this one comes early, too."

Emily rubbed her large tummy. "Oh, don't go all Supervisory Special Agent on me. It's just pregnancy; I've been through it before."

"There are twenty steps up here; sue me if I worry. And for Christ sake, get in here and sit down."

Seeing that Morgan's concern was for real, Emily conceded and shimmied her way on the armchair placed next to his until she got comfortable in the narrow space. "I'll get stuck here!"

Morgan must have taken pity on her because he smiled and winked at her, but pushed the low stuffed bench he had been using to rest his feet over to her side. "I don't want you to give Rossi any reason to hurt me and make a young widower out of Reid."

Emily laughed. "After all these years you can't still be scared of Dave."

Morgan looked back down at the baby with the same kind of quiet reverence Dave (and most certainly Emily too) had been showering Giggio with for almost five years now. "You're pregnant with his child. He would do anything in his power to make sure his children are okay."

Emily winced and touched the spot where Mateo had just scored another goal against her bladder. Damn, but the kid was restless today. After a deep breath, she found Morgan looking at her with a mix of sympathy and pure panic.

Emily smiled. "Kid has been hyperactive today. I'm fine, really. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You've got the stares."

Morgan laughed softly. "The stares? Is that how you call it at the Prentiss-Rossi's household?"

Another kick; Emily smoothed her belly. "What do you guys call it around here?"

"Reid rambles about constructing themselves or something like this, but most often than not we agree it's just about the wonder our Laticia causes." After a moment his smile sobered. "It gives me a better understanding of that guy now; the stepfather."

It took Emily less than a minute to have that memory brought back to her, of a case from the very beginning, one of the first she had worked with the team. It had happened during the Gideon era, before Dave and before they had stumbled over Morgan's secret; before she had gotten beaten up and they had learned about Reid's addiction; before Hotch's divorce or Garcia getting shot or JJ's first kill. Back to a time when for all of them living had been more about instinct and less about emotion.

Emily should have been surprised Morgan had rescued that memory after such a long time, but she wasn't; not after all these years and these shared moments, which had first started that night, when she had held that parentless baby girl in her arms. Emily just smiled softly at him and let him continue because it was okay; it was Morgan.

"After Reid and I signed the final papers for the adoption, I don't know why I thought about him. The man was scum, a dirty bag, but if he went back to that house for this," Morgan squeezed the baby against his chest, "I guess I can finally understand him, even respect him a little. Biologically speaking, Laticia may not be Reid's or mine, but there isn't a single thing in this world we wouldn't do to keep her here with us."

Any real father would, Emily had wanted to say, but it wasn't necessary, not for them. They were parents; they shared that visceral emotion, that driving force to protect and to shelter their children. Too basic and yet too complex to be named, it had been what had moved Reid to do as Dave had done when Giggio was born and step down from the field to assume a teaching position within the BSU, and Morgan to leave the BAU and be in charge of his own team at the Hate Crimes division in the DC office so they could work more regular hours when they had decided to apply for adoption.

And here they were, Emily and Morgan, years later, sitting in a room with white and lilac walls and stuffed bears and pictures of two exhilarated men holding the precious treasure that was their daughter. Emily's own son was playing with his friends out in the backyard under the watchful eyes of his father, and another one was content to play soccer in her womb.

"Morgan, that night, after everything was over, you said maybe that was the kind of change that girl needed."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah, I remember that."

"She would bring that same kind of change to the family who adopted her, too," Emily said smiling gently. "You and Reid, _you_ are awesome for sharing this love you have for each other with Laticia. And this little girl," she caressed the baby's cheek. "She is a very lucky young lady for having you guys changing things for her."

Morgan's bright, grateful warm eyes were all the thanks Emily needed to hear from him. They were also everything Emily had once needed to see in her own mother's eyes. Now older, wiser and a mother herself, Emily could just feel sorry for her mother because it would forever be the Ambassador's loss if she never experienced this kind of bond and joy that Emily now did.

It was what had made Emily, after long conversations with Dave, decide to ask for a two year leave of absence after her maternity leave was up. She wanted to be there for her kids in a more regular basis while they were growing up. She loved her job and wished she could do both, like JJ, but compartmentalizing was not an option when her family was involved.

Laticia got bored and started squirming in Morgan's lap until he put her up against his body and the baby immediately laid her head full of fuzzy braided hair and colored hair clips against his shoulder. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent that was unique to babies, kissing smiles against her cheek. Hormones or not, Emily let a tear fall and smiled.

"As I had told you, Spencer, watching paint dry makes her cry these days."

"It's natural and common because her hormone levels are changing, Rossi. From elation to depression, mood swings are something to be more expected in her third semester. Her changing body shape can disturb her self-image, but in my opinion pregnant women just get to be so f..."

"If you use the 'f' word, I swear to God, Reid, I'll shoot you!"

"Fabulously beautiful," Reid completed, smiling and looking adorable, making Rossi and Morgan laugh while Emily wiped the tears ruining her make up.

At hearing her other daddy's voice, little Laticia didn't stop bouncing in Morgan's lap until he put her on the floor.

"Pa-pa-pa"

Baby Laticia assumed the crawling position and, encouraged by both her daddies, inched twice towards Reid before she lost her balance and fell. She looked confusedly at Reid, pout lips trembling.

"Pa-pa-pa"

"Yeah, it's pa." Reid moved closer, stopping just a few feet from her. "Come on, princess. Let's crawl and let the repetitive movement stimulate your brain activity. This way you can develop cognitive processes such as concentration, memory and comprehension and also..."

By now Rossi and Emily were laughing. The tears wouldn't let Emily be sure, but she was positive Morgan was rolling his eyes.

"Baby, I've already told you a simple 'come to pa' will do." Reid smiled sheepishly at Morgan and wiggled his fingers at their baby girl.

"Pa-pa-pa"

Helped by Morgan, the baby started moving little knees and hands forward again, and this time she reached Reid's legs. He immediately scooped her up in his arms and blew dozens of raspberries on her face. Laticia squealed and Morgan hugged them both from behind, rubbing his symbolic wedding ring against Reid's. Smiling, he rested his chin on Reid's shoulder as Laticia presented her papa with an open mouthed kiss full of drool.

It was twice as hard to shimmy her way out of the chair as it had been to shimmy her way in it, because Emily was crying and Mateo was kicking her bladder, and she wanted to snap another shot before she made her way to the bathroom to pee. Dave's assistance was more than welcome.

"Hey… You guys… tur, turn a little to your left… I want a picture…"

Morgan tenderly directed his family towards the camera and Emily got her picture as Laticia, cajoled by her parents, was blowing z's through her baby teeth.

"Shouldn't… you and Reid work… on profiles or teach recruits… instead of talk… about my hormone problems?" Emily asked, accepting Dave's hug and hiding her face against his shoulder.

"Teacher's lounge gets boring after sometime."

"Just find, find something else to talk about," she hiccupped behind a laugh. "Or I'll have to hurt you both for real."

"Okay," Reid agreed laughing. Then he turned his head to kiss Morgan's cheek. "Mom wants to take pictures of all the kids."

Emily felt her face hot with embarrassment. "Yeah, I came here to get you, but then we started talking and I forgot."

"That's okay, Prentiss. I think by now everybody is used to yours and Morgan's chat sessions," Reid smiled at her. "But, you know, there's a party going on downstairs."

Yes, there was. Morgan and Reid had organized the cookout to celebrate the finalization of the adoption process after a ten month wait, even though Laticia had been living with them since she was a couple of weeks old. Such a blessed child for being watched over by two of the most decent men Emily had ever crossed paths with.

"Pronta a uscire alla luce del sole con me, gioia?"

Emily nodded against Dave's shoulder, the father of her children, the constant source of her strength and joy. Oh, yes; she was ready; she had been born to live this moment. She wasn't fifteen anymore, life was happening downstairs, and it was high time she let Dave take her out into the sunny afternoon.

But Emily needed a bathroom break first.

The backyard in Morgan's and Reid's place was smaller than the one in her house, but it was equally sunny and the kids had enough space to run around and play without disturbing the adults who weren't playing with them or getting too close to the barbecue pit.

Fran Morgan got Laticia from Reid, kissed her granddaughter's happy face, and started directing Desiree and Sara to take the other kids to the other side of the yard, because yeah, the children would look wonderful in that background with the flowerbed. Eventually Emily had to join JJ and Garcia in the organization because the kids were having so much fun playing tag with Kevin or Frisbee with Morgan's brothers-in-law, they didn't want to stop even for a second long enough for Fran to be satisfied with the pictures she got. Tempers were soothed when Desiree and Sarah came out from the kitchen carrying trays of strawberry jelly and ice cream. The meaning wasn't lost on Emily.

Morgan joined Reid and Laticia on a bench near the flowerbed with a cup of the desert in his hand and the smile Emily had only seen him share with Reid, and now Laticia. Reid welcomed Morgan with a similar smile of his own as Laticia reached out for the jelly.

Laticia had Reid's eyes, Morgan's complexion and she looked so lovely opening her mouth in a big shaped 'o' like Morgan was showing her how to while Reid fed her the sweet treat and probably lectured her on the nutritious value of jelly… The hell with biology! Laticia _was_ theirs.

Emily hid a smile against Dave's shoulder when sometime later it was photo session again and only a stern look from his father made Jack leave the chess match he and Jordan had been engaged in to join Morgan, Reid and Laticia and the rest of the kids on the bench.

"Now you kids go and get your parents," Fran ordered and all the kids scattered around to do as they were told. "I want a beautiful family picture to take back with me to Chicago."

And as a beaming Giggio pulled his mother and father to share the space around the bench with Morgan's sisters, their husbands, as well as JJ and Will, Kevin and Garcia, Hotch and Jordan, and all their children (eight now, counting Morgan's nephew and nieces) being rambunctious and disorganized arranging themselves on the ground, Emily rubbed her round belly and compartmentalized for the last time.

Yes, they were her family. And she would even have a picture to show around.

Giovanni - Variant of John 'God has shown favor'  
Mateo - Gift of God  
Laticia - Latin for 'Joy'

Thanks for reading.


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